Download PDF

Course Outline

CMN320 Creative Writing and Editing for Publication

Course Coordinator:Ross Watkins (rwatkins@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2024Semester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course empowers you to exercise creative and critical thinking in the production of creative content for industry-focused publications. The workshop environment is structured as a publishing house where you are responsible for writing and editing manuscripts, learning and applying fundamental principles and practices involved in the publishing industry.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 5 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 3hrs Week 1 11 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 5 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops (Recorded). 3hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

  • Publishing industry roles, processes and standards
  • Manuscript development
  • Substantive/structural editing for creative works
  • Copy/style editing for creative works
  • Proof reading
  • House style

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Demonstrate industry-specific skills involved in writing and editing for publication, including substantive and copy editing fundamentals Knowledgeable
2 Create and edit manuscripts demonstrating critical understandings of ethics and aesthetics Ethical
3 Demonstrate effective communication skills and work cohesively within a team environment. Creative and critical thinker
4 Demonstrate planning and problem-solving skills in order to meet publication deadlines Empowered
5 Analyse and reflect upon publishing practices using scholarly conventions, critical thinking and the application of theory to practice Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Completion of 192 units of study

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

You are expected to be knowledgeable of a diversity of written narrative forms intended for various audiences. You are also expected to have knowledge and skills in word processing and basic editing.

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Opportunities for feedback on your understanding and practical execution of editing role requirements will occur during the first five weeks of the course.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Practical / Laboratory Skills Individual 30% 
Read/edit up to 2000 words (manuscript length).
 Week 5 Online Submission
All 2 Practical / Laboratory Skills Individual 30% 
Read/edit up to 2000 words (manuscript length).
 Week 6 Online Submission
All 3 Written Piece Individual 40% 
2500 words
 Week 13 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Substantive Edit Practical
Goal: 
You will have a distinct set of editing responsibilities that must be met for the collective publication to be successfully produced. This assessment task requires you to demonstrate the practical application of substantive editing skills to creative writing, demonstrating your understanding of the responsibilities and challenges of your editing role.
Product: Practical / Laboratory Skills
Format: 
A short story manuscript will be provided to you for substantive editing. You are required to provide substantive editing mark-up on the manuscript and a structural report. Your edits must adhere to industry standards, using MS Word editing features.

This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competency will be assessed: PC3 Ethical and Cultural Understanding.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in the use of editing software
 1
2 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in the appraisal of manuscript structure
 1
3 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in the appraisal of manuscript style
 1
4 
Editing manuscripts to demonstrate critical understandings of ethics and aesthetics
 2
5 
Demonstrating effective communication skills in working with authors
 3
All - Assessment Task 2:Copy Edit Practical
Goal: 
You will have a distinct set of editing responsibilities that must be met for the collective publication to be successfully produced. This assessment task requires you to demonstrate the practical application of copy editing skills to creative writing, demonstrating your understanding of the responsibilities and challenges of your editing role.
Product: Practical / Laboratory Skills
Format: 
A short story manuscript will be provided to you for copy editing. You are required to provide copy editing mark-up on the manuscript. Your edits must adhere to industry standards, using MS Word editing features.

This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competency will be assessed: PC3 Ethical and Cultural Understanding.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in the use of editing software
 1
2 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in copyediting manuscript style
 1
3 
Demonstrating industry-specific skills in adhering to House Style
 1
4 
Editing manuscripts to demonstrate critical understandings of ethics and aesthetics
 2
5 
Demonstrating effective communication skills in working with authors
 3
All - Assessment Task 3:Role Reflection
Goal: 
Within your writer and editor roles you must work both autonomously and as an integral part of the group. This assessment task requires you to submit a written reflection that documents your fulfilment of your responsibilities and the resultant contributions to the publication (progressively and as an end product).
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
Academic format. Audience is scholarly with knowledge of publishing industry practices

This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competencies will be assessed: 
PC3 Ethical and Cultural Understanding
PC6 Entrepreneurial and Innovative Thinking and Collaboration
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Creating and editing manuscripts to demonstrate critical understandings of ethics and aesthetics
 2
2 
Demonstrating effective communication skills and work cohesively within a team environment
 3
3 
Demonstrating actively planning and problem-solving skills to meet publication deadlines
 4
4 
Analysing and reflecting upon publishing practices through the use of scholarly conventions of communication (style and structure)
 5
5 
Analysing and reflecting upon publishing practices through the use of scholarly/practice-based reference materials
 5

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

The production of the class publication requires much computer-related work. Students unable to access software at home should take advantage of USC computer labs, whether in/outside of class time.

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: 
- 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
Download PDF